| A paintball marker, also commonly called
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| | HPA is also known as Nitrogen, nitro, or
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| a paintball gun, is the primary device
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| | N2. The reason for the varying name
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| used in the game of paintball to mark an
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| | difference is because in the late 80's
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| opposing player. An expanding gas
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| | and early 90's, Tom Kaye and Team Nitro
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| (usually carbon dioxide, nitrogen or air)
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| | utilized large 114 cubic inch tanks on
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| forces a paintball through a barrel at a
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| | their back. This was the first team to
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| muzzle velocity of approximately 300ft/s
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| | use nitrogen in a paintball setting. The
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| (100m/s). This velocity is sufficient for
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| | gas they used was 100% nitrogen, which is
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| most paintballs to break upon impact, but
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| | very rare today. The reason for this is
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| not fast enough to cause tissue damage
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| | that air compressors capable of filling
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| beyond mild bruising. Nearly every
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| | tanks to the required 3000+ PSI are more
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| commercial field has, and strictly
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| | common. HPA tanks can be filled with
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| enforces, a rule limiting the muzzle
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| | nitrogen or compressed air, but can NOT
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| velocity of a paintball at or below 300ft
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| | be filled with CO2. It is also a common
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| /s. Being hit in an eye by a paintball
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| | misconception that paintball markers use
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| can result in permanent blindness or
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| | Nitrous Oxide (N2O,"Nitrous", "NOS"), or
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| vision impairment, thus the universal
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| | NO2. Neither of these are used in
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| rule that paintball participants must
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| | paintball pneumatic systems.
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| wear a protective goggle system designed
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| | HPA is also preferred because it makes
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| specifically for paintball use.
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| | easy for the frequent players to fill the
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| The majority of modern paintball markers
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| | air system from a conventional scuba
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| are semi-automatic, falling under the
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| | tank. Also, many players believe that
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| classification of either "open" or
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| | using N2 instead of HPA reduces the
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| "closed" bolt firing positions, relying
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| | corrosion caused to the marker by
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| on one of 3 major design structures. The
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| | oxidation from the Oxygen in the HPA..
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| first is a gas blowback design whereby
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| | Comparison Nitrogen is generally
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| the trigger releases a hammer which sends
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| | preferred over carbon dioxide for a few
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| the bolt forward and simultaneously
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| | reasons.
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| knocks open a valve releasing gas to fire
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| | Nitrogen will not liquefy and leak into
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| the paintball as well as recock the
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| | the marker, while if the CO2 tank doesn't
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| marker. Autococking markers use a
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| | have an anti-siphon installed, liquid CO2
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| complicated gas pneumatic system to drive
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| | will leak into the marker, causing damage
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| a cocking knob back AFTER firing,
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| | to O-rings. The solenoids on electronic
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| allowing the marker to fire in a
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| | markers are particularly sensitive to
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| "closed-bolt" format. The third and most
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| | this, and thus many manufacturers will
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| advanced type of semi-auto paintball
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| | specify to use only nitrogen or HPA with
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| marker is the electropneumatic. Here, the
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| | their electronic markers. Nitrogen
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| trigger trips an electronic microswitch
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| | generally has a more consistent shot than
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| (or more recently, a laser) and
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| | CO2. This is because when the playing
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| information is passed to a computer
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| | area is warm, the CO2 will expand more
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| controlled solenoid which releases the
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| | rapidly from the liquid form, causing the
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| propellant to drive the bolt forward and
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| | marker to fire at a higher velocity. But
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| fire the paintball, again simultaneously,
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| | when the temperature is lower, the
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| most often from the "open-bolt" position.
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| | expansion occurs more slowly, causing a
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| This microswitch operation makes the
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| | decrease in the velocity of the shot.
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| trigger pull very light, and allows for
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| | This is especially apparent during rapid
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| extreme rates of fire. These markers are
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| | firing while using CO2. The rapid
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| the most expensive (usually) and advanced
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| | discharge of CO2 causes the temperature
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| of the 3 types and are generally used for
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| | of the liquid CO2 to drop dramatically,
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| tournament play where rates of fire can
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| | resulting in a significant loss in
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| reach and exceed 25 balls per second.
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| | pressure. The effect of temperature on
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| There is, also, a strong following of
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| | HPA or nitrogen, on the other hand, is
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| stock-class and "pump" players who use
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| | negligible. However, CO2 tanks are
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| markers with a purposefully low rate of
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| | significantly cheaper than nitrogen
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| fire and ammo capacity. Pump guns use a
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| | tanks. The nitrogen tanks traditionally
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| mostly self explanatory format, forcing
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| | cost slightly less to be filled, than the
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| the player to slide a pump back and forth
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| | CO2 tanks at approximately three to five
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| to load each shot before firing.
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| | US dollars.
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| Stock-class guns are essentially the
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| | Masks Sometimes called "goggles," masks
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| same, with a few extra restrictions. They
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| | are safety devices that players are
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| are exclusively pump-action paintball
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| | required to wear. These completely cover
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| guns powered by 12-gram CO2 cartridges.
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| | not only the eyes, but also the mouth,
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| Also, stock class markers have only a 10
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| | ears and nostrils of a person. Some masks
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| to 20 round ammo tube that is not spring
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| | even feature throat guards. The lenses
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| loaded and must be fixed to the marker,
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| | are designed to stop paintballs traveling
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| parallel to the barrel. This leads to
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| | around or under 300ft/s (~100m/s). It
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| what is known as the "Rock and Cock"
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| | should be noted, however, that the lenses
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| action, because a player needs to rock
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| | are not designed to withstand impacts of
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| the marker back for a ball to drop into
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| | paintballs traveling at vastly greater
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| the chamber before recocking the marker.
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| | speeds.
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| The last type of marker is a sidearm,
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| | Double-layered or "thermal" lenses are
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| usually a pistol, that uses a CO2
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| | also available. These lenses are much
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| cartridge to power it. These are usually
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| | less prone to fogging. These work by
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| either pump or semi-automatic but have a
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| | separating an inside and an outside lens
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| 8-12 round magazine attached somewhere on
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| | with an air chamber, that allows for the
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| the gun. The usage of paintball sidearms
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| | difference in temperature between the
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| is greatly conversed among paintballers.
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| | inside and the outside of the mask
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| Some argue that the usage of a sidearm in
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| | without forming condensation.
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| paintball is pointless saying its "a $100
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| | The exterior of the thermal lenses (or
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| pod". Others argue that it is priceless
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| | the lenses, in non-thermal masks) is
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| on the battlefield as your main marker
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| | usually made of Polycarbonate or
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| can jam or run out of CO2.
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| | Lexan®.
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| Some markers are designed to look like
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| | This provides impact resistance. An
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| real guns, and as such are called
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| | unfortunate side effect is that those
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| mil-sim, short for military simulation.
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| | materials are very easily scratched by
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| These are used almost exclusively in
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| | dirt and debris, so care must be taken to
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| woodsball games, as they are clunkier
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| | keep proper care of the lenses. Many
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| than most high-end speedball markers, but
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| | vendors recommend the immediate
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| they are painted camo or black in order
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| | replacement of very scratched lenses, or
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| to blend in with foliage or shadow better
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| | lenses subjected to very strong impacts.
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| than a flashy marker. Some use hoppers,
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| | Some masks include electric fans that
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| though some use magazines similar to
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| | cool the player's face while wearing it.
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| real-life automatic weapons. Many come
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| | This is useful for situations that
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| with a shoulder stock in order to follow
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| | require wearing the mask for extended
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| the mil-sim look.
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| | periods of time, such as wood play, large
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| Propellants Carbon dioxide Because CO2
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| | games, or being a referee.
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| becomes a liquid when compressed, it must
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| | Generally, more expensive masks tend to
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| expand to a gas in order to be used by
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| | be smaller (which in turn makes the
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| the paintball marker.
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| | player a smaller target), more
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| This expansion is not adiabatic and
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| | comfortable, and have more
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| requires energy, causing the tank to cool
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| | interchangeable parts.
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| as heat is used to expand the liquid CO2
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| | Hoppers/Loaders These are the two main
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| into gas. Eventually, under sustained
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| | forms of holding paintballs in direct
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| fire, and especially in cold weather, the
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| | reserve for the marker to fire, much the
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| tank can become so cold that ice crystals
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| | same way as a clip will hold rounds for a
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| form on it. If the CO2 bottle does not
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| | rifle. These two types of providing
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| have an anti-siphon tube fitted, or is
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| | ammuntion for the marker are much the
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| shaken while firing, the liquid CO2 may
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| | same as one another, with only a few key
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| enter the marker. The liquid CO2 then
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| | differences.
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| passes through the marker instead of the
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| | Hoppers are the older and less advanced
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| tank, evaporating and causing the marker
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| | means of supplying paint to the marker.
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| to freeze. This results in large clouds
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| | The most basic and common is a simple
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| of CO2 vapor ejected from the marker upon
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| | black shell with a hinged lid on the back
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| firing, caused by the liquid CO2
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| | so the hopper can be filled, and a necked
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| evaporating in/around the barrel.
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| | down area which slides down into the
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| This is known as "drawing liquid". This
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| | markers "feedneck" and is just wide
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| can and will cause damage to internal
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| | enough for one ball at a time to fall
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| seals and O-Rings, which will put the
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| | through. Some of these hoppers include
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| marker out of commission for some time
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| | some form of battery powered "agitation"
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| while it warms back up. Never leave a CO2
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| | to keep the mouth of the hoppers feedneck
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| container in sunlight, as the heat will
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| | from becoming clogged with balls so that
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| cause the gas to expand to a dangerous
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| | there is always a supply of paintballs
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| level. The tanks include safety valves in
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| | into the feedneck. The key distinction
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| their construction, but there is no need
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| | for a hopper is eventually it relies
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| to use them or take unnecessary risks.
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| | solely on gravity to get a ball into the
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| With normal back-bottle setups (or, air
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| | chamber Loaders are similar to hoppers,
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| systems utilizing a horizontal air source
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| | but all use some sort of electronic or
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| adapter, more commonly called an ASA),
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| | mechanical means of forcing or agigtating
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| the less dense gaseous CO2 will rise to
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| | paintballs into the feedneck, and down
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| the top half of the tank. Normally, ASA's
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| | into the chamber, resulting in a much
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| are angled with very slight angles so the
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| | faster and more steady supply of
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| gaseous CO2 is always available at the
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| | ammunition to the marker. These are
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| valve of the tank. Special devices known
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| | generally found more often in tournament
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| as anti-siphon tubes extend the mouth of
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| | settings paired with electropneumatic
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| the valve, and provide only CO2 from the
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| | markers to achieve the extremely high
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| top part of the tank.
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| | rates of fire used to suppress the
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| During rapid successions of shots,
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| | opposition.
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| gaseous CO2 is used up. Liquid CO2 will
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| | Paintballs Paintballs, also called simply
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| take some time to evaporate and rebuild
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| | paint, are spherical gelatin capsules
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| the internal pressure. This process
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| | containing primarily polyethylene glycol
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| causes potentially large changes in
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| | and dye.
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| velocity and therefore, in accuracy and
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| | Early paintballs were made of glass and
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| range.
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| | filled with indelible oil-based paint,
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| High Pressure Air or N2 When HPA (High
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| | but modern paintballs should easily wash
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| Pressure Air) is compressed, it remains a
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| | out of most clothing and cause
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| gas. When it expands, it also cools the
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| | significantly less pain on impact.
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| tank, but at a far lower rate than liquid
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| | Most common paintballs and paintball
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| CO2 because it does not have to
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| | markers are described as .68 caliber.
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| transition from liquid to gas. The lack
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| | However many factors affect their exact
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| of this transition, reduces the variation
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| | dimensions. The vast majority of
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| in pressure associated with rapid
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| | paintballs are larger than .68 caliber
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| successions of firing cycles, improving
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| | and may in fact meet or exceed .69
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| accuracy. Therefore it is viewed as a
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| | caliber. In addition, paintballs are very
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| superior source of propulsion.
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| | sensitive to heat and moisture. A hot or
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| However, because these propellants are
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| | humid day may result in paint swelling or
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| stored at higher pressures (up to 5000 lb
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| | becoming misshapen. Care should be taken
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| /in2 or 34.47 MPa) while liquid CO2 is
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| | to keep paintballs out of the sun and
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| stored at around 1200 lb/in2 (eight MPa),
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| | away from moisture. An insulated cooler
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| tanks for nitrogen and HPA are more
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| | works well for this on the field.
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| expensive and heavier. Modern designs are
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| | Generally speaking, more expensive
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| usually wrapped in carbon fiber or other
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| | paintballs are subjected to more
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| composite materials, to allow for thinner
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| | stringent manufacturing processes and
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| walls (thus, lighter weights) while
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| | quality checks, to their size is more
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| withstanding the greater pressure.
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| | consistent. This is very important for
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| The tanks for themselves can either be
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| | accuracy. More expensive paintballs also
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| filled with pure N2 or compressed air,
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| | tend to have higher quality fills and
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| which is 79% N2. These air sources have
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| | more brittle shells to lessen the chance
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| traditionally been used primarily by
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| | of bounces, and improve chance of break,
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| people who play often and have
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| | and therefore "kills" SWAT teams often
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| tournament-grade markers; however, they
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| | use paintballs filled with a pepper
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| are becoming more popular among casual
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| | substance (known as a pepper ball) as a
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| players.
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| | non-lethal incapacitation method.
|
